Box closing apparatus



Oct. 22, 1957 E. H. CHANCELLOR BOX CLOSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 12, 1954 l :In l

Oct. 22, 1957 E. H. cHANcELLoR 2,810,247

Box CLOSING APPARATUS l 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 12, 1954 F lG. 4

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Oct. 22, 1957 E. H. CHANCELLOR 2,810,247

Box CLOSING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1954 3 sheets-sheet s Fl. e

. INVENTOIL ML H. Lua/.41 Y' QyLg/HHMM nite States Patent BOX CLOSING APPARATUS Earl H. Chancellor, New Orleans, La.

Application July 12, 1954, Serial No. 442,731

2 Claims. (Cl. 53-287) My invention relates to box closing apparatus. It relates more particularly to apparatus for assembling boxes and covers therefor.

An yobject of this invention is to provide an etlicient apparatus to automatically bring together a box body and a cover so that the bo-x will be closed.

A special object is to provide apparatus for inserting the box bodies into covers in an orderly manner so that they will not be damaged during the closing operation.

The said objects I have accomplished by the means which are about to be described in detail and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the construction herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing pushers for box bodies and covers.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a spring tensioning device.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of another spring tensioning device.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a box body and a cover as they are being assembled,

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing a support for box bodies and covers provided with gauges therefor.

Fig. 7 is a view at a right angle to Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view illustrating the complete operation of the apparatus.

Referring to the construction shown in the views of the drawing, the numeral 9 designates a support for a cover pusher 10, and for a box pusher 11. The lower end of the pusher 11 (in vertical position) carries a rod 13 the ends of which are slidable in slots 14 formed in opposite members 15 mounted on the support 9. The rod 13 is backed up at its ends by springs 16 positioned in the slots 14. The upper end of the pusher 11 is backed up at its top corners by springs 17. A block 18 is secured to the support 9 between the two pushers. As will be understood from Fig. 5, this block serves to separate the box body B and its cover C before they are lifted.

Fig. 8 illustrates in detail, mechanism for operating the pushers 10 and 11. For the pusher 10, an air cylinder 19 is provided. The position of this cylinder may be adjusted for diiferent sizes of boxes. The cylinder 19 is provided with a piston rod 20, the outer end of which is pivotally attached to the back of the pusher 10. A source of compressed air such as a blower 21 is connected by a hose 22 with the lower end of the cylinder for lifting the piston rod and the pusher 10. A hose 2,810,247 Patented Oct. 22, 1957 23 is connected to the upper end of the cylinder 19 for lowering the piston. A branch hose 22' from the hose 22 has its upper end adapted to hold a box cover temporarily in place. The blower 21 is controlled by a device 24 of known construction.

For operating the pusher 11, I employ a disc 25 secured to a shaft 26 which is rotated by suitable motive power. An arm 27 is pivoted at its lower end to the disc 25 oft center. The upper end of the arm 27 is pivotally connected to the back of a rod finger 28. A sprocket chain 29 connects the shaft 26 with a shaft 30 on which a disc 31 is secured. An arm 32 is pivoted at its lower end to the disc 31 oH-center. The upper end of the arm 32 passes through a guide 33 and then is attached to the lower end of the rod nger 28.

Figs. 6 and 7 show gauges for a box body and its cover. The support 9 at one side thereof is provided with an adjustable gauge member 34 against which one end of a box cover is adapted to engage. The opposite end of the cover is adapted to engage a fixed gauge member 35 secured to the support 9 so that the cover will be positioned between these two gauge members. In like manner, the box body is adapted to be positioned between an adjustable gauge member 34 and a xed gauge member 35'. The outer side of the box body is adapted to engage a gauge member 36 shown in Fig. l.

In operating this apparatus, box covers are successively supplied in any desired manner to the front of the pusher 10 while box bodies are successively supplied to the front of the pusher 11. The blower 21 is operated to lift the pusher 10 and a box cover thereon into the position shown in Fig. 8. The disc 25 is then given a rotative motion to lift the pusher 11 and a box body thereon whereupon operation of the arm 32 and the rod finger 28 causes the pusher 11 to swing forwardly and push the box body B into the cover C. This movement of the pusher 11 is properly accomplished on account of the pusher being resilliently backed up at the bottom and at the top by the springs 16 and 17 respectively. The manner in which this movement 'is performed prevents the box and cover from jamming and being damaged as they are pushed togetherV Reverse operation of the blower 21 restores the cover pusher to its original position. Continued operation of the discs 25 and 31 and the associated arms restores the box body pusher to its original position.

It will be noted in Fig. 8 that the upper end of the branch hose 22' curves over the upper end of the cover pusher 10 whereby the tip of the branch hose will initially engage the top of the cover member 10. However when the blower 21 is operated, compressed air passing up the branch hose will lift its tip and release the cover member.

I claim:

1. A box closing apparatus comprising in a combination a support, a box cover pusher pivotally mounted at its lower end on said support, a box body pusher, opposite members provided with slots and mounted on said support, said box body pusher having its two lower corners slidably mounted in said slots respectively, springs backing up said corners resilient means engaging the upper end of said box body pusher on the rear thereof, and means for causing said pushers to approach and recede from each other.

2. A box closing apparatus comprising in combination a support, a box cover pusher pivotally mounted at its lower end on said support, a box body pusher mounted pivotally and resiliently on said support, an air cylinder, a piston rod for said cylinder having its outer end pivotally attached to the back of said .box cover pusher, a blower, a hose connecting said blower with the lower end of said cylinder, a hose connecting said blower with the upper end of said cylinder, means for controlling the operation of said blower, a rod finger engaging the back of said box body pusher, a disc secured to a rotatable shaft, an arm pivoted at `one end to said dise oli-center and pivoted at its other end 'o the hack of said rod finger, a second disc, a sprocket chain between said second disc and the rst mentioned disc, and an arm pivoted at one end to said second disc off-center and connected at its other end to the bottom of said rod nger.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McNair June 6, 1933 Busche Apr. 27, 1937 Erekson Aug. 3, 1943 Almgren Mar. 25, 1952 

